California Men Caught Transporting Eight Pounds of Marijuana on I-80

Friday, September 13, 2019 @ 12:09 AM

Posted by Aly Delp

CLINTONVILLE BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – Two California men are behind bars in Venango County after being caught transporting an estimated eight pounds of marijuana and cannabis products through the area earlier this week.

Court documents indicate the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations filed the following charges against 30-year-old Matthew R. Zerafa and 27-year-old Kristian J. Palafox, both of Riverside, California:

According to a criminal complaint, around 11:36 a.m. on Tuesday, September 10, Trooper Knott of the Pennsylvania State Police Safe Highways Initiative for Effective Law Enforcement and Detection (SHIELD) Section conducted a traffic stop on a 2009 Ford F150 with a California registration place on Interstate 80 eastbound near mile marker 34.1 in Clintonville Borough.

According to the complaint, an investigation revealed that the driver, Kristian J. Palafox, and the passenger, Matthew R. Zerafa, were in possession of approximately eight pounds of marijuana and cannabis products for distribution, as well as two glass pipes used to smoke methamphetamine.

The complaint notes it was also determined that the two men conspired together to transport the drugs from California to New York for distribution.

Palafox and Zerafa were arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey on September 10.

They were lodged in the Venango County Jail on $20,000.00 each monetary bail.

A preliminary hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 18.